Method of connecting insulator units



Oct. 6, 1925.

F. H. REAGAN mHOD OF CONNECTING INSULATOR UNITS Filed March 10 1921 MOT/765$ Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK 1r. REAGAN, or

ROCHESTER, NEW YGRK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

T0 LOCKE INSULATOR GORFORATION, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORA- TIQN OF MARYLAND.

METHOD OF-GONNEGTING INSULATOR UNITS.

Application filed March 10, 1921. Serial No. 451,210.

which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a method of connecting parts of an insulator unit in which novel means are employed at the'time the insulating unit is being connected to themetallic cap to preventthe cement used to connect the cap to the insulating element from flowing over and hardening upon the sur face of the insulator element. By my method all necessity for cleaning the insulator by chipping the cement from the surface thereof after the connection is perfected is obviated, thereby avoiding damage to the surface glaze of the insulator which is often injured by the cleaning process to which insulator units have heretofore been subjected.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a frangible member adapted to be mounted upon the insulating unit prior to its assembly with the hollow cap, the said frangible member being adapted to serve as a gasket to prevent the escape of the fluid cementitious material by which the cap and insulatingv element are connected, and being also adapted to serve as spacing means to prevent the contact of the cap with the adjacent portions of the insulating element. Another object of the invention is to provide a method of connecting the parts of an insulator unit involving the use of a saturated ring or gasket which is adapted to be mounted on one of said parts prior to its assembly with the other .part and which is permitted to contract after the assembly so as to provide for its easy removal from the assembledunit. v I

There are 'other objects of the invention as will hereinafter more fully appear from thedetailed description of the same, particularly when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated a suspension insulator unit connected is also in accordance with the method herein set forth.

Figure 1 is a View, partially in section and partially in sideelevation, of a suspension insulator unit assembled in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse horizontal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. t

It is the usual practice in connecting "n:- sulator units to hollow metallic caps to first invert the cap and then pour into the recess thereof a liquid cementitious material and to subsequently fit the cap over the neck stem or the projecting portion of the insulating element, which is of substantially the same diameter as the interior diameter of the recess in the cap, to thereby cause the cemen titious material to completely fill the" space intervening between the enlarged ring w hich' is generally provided at the bottom edge of the said cap and the adjacent portion of the insulating element. The insulating element and cap which are joined by this socket connection are then placed on a drying frame to permit the cement to dry, set or harden so as to rigidly unite'the said arts. When the caps are placed on the nec {S or stems of the insulating elements some of the cement is forced out of the cap and spread over the surface of the insulating element and often hardens thereon If this cement is allowed to set it is very difficult to remove it without injury to the glaze which is placed over the porcelain; Any injury to the glass pro duces a rough spot on the surface of the insulating element upon which dust and dirt will collect, and these rough spots when coated with dirtserve to shorten the gap or distance between the terminals of the unit and are often the cause of destructive arcings and breakdowns of the insulators. It highly desirable to so locate the cap with reference to the insulating element as to prpvide a uniform space between the skirt portion of the insulating element and the lower edge of the cap. The object of this spacing is to prevent contact between adjacent surfaces of the insulating element and the cap caused by the different coeiiicients of expansion or these two bodies. Such contact is not only detrimental to the connection, but often causes the insulator to rorealr at the juncture of the hub with the skirt portion thereof. Heretofore it has been very Nil difficult to avoid the defects herein pointed out and it has been practically impossible in quantity production to prevent the caps from settling on the hubs so that the caps either contact with the skirt portions of the insulating element or assume an angular position on said hub.

By the method hereinafter described all of the 'difliculties above set forth are avoided and any inexpensive method is provided for obtaining clean insulators and for affording sufficient clearance between the insulating unit and the cap to take care of all expansions and contractions of the two bodies without detriment to the insulator or to the connection.

In carrying out my method I provide a disk or plate 1, preferably made of cardboard, although any absorbent material of suflicient mechanical strength may be advantageously substitutedv therefor. The said disk is provided with an opening 2 the diameter of which is substantially the same as the diameter of that portion of the insulating element which is adapted to fit within the cap 3. These disks or plates 1 may be and preferably are provided with a slot 4, extending from the marginal edge to a point adjacent the opening 2. Prior to the application of these disks to the insulating elements I preferably soak the same in a liquid to a point of saturation, although this step may be omitted if desired. By soaking the disks to a point of saturation I perform two important functions. thickness of the disk, and second, I prevent the disk from acting as a sponge to withdraw from the cementitious material a portion of the liquid which would be detrimental to the cement. I then'force the saturated disk over the projection on the insulator until the disk is positioned on said projection a distance slightly less than the depth of the recess within the cap. I then invert the cap and introduce therein the cemen: titious material and then join the cap and the projection onthe insulator in socketed relationship until relative movement between said cap and said projection is stopped by the engagement of the disk with the lower extremity of th said cap. Since the disk is in engagement with the lower extremity of the cap and is also in engagement with the wall of the insulating element it will act as a gasket to prevent the escape of the cementitious material. The parts are then placed on the drying frame for a period of time to permit the setting of the cementitious First, I increase the material. lVhen the cementitious material has hardened or set the moisture in the disk 1 will have evaporated, causing a contraction of the disk and spacing the same away from the lower edge of the cap. If. any of the cementitious material has escaped between the edge of the cap and the disk the lateral extension of the disk will prevent this cement from flowing over the exterior surface of the skirt portion 5 of the insulating element. Upon the removal of the insulating unit from the drying frame the disk is broken away preferably by engaging the same on opposite sides of the slot 4 and tearing the slot so that it extends into the opening 2, and then by removing the disk bodily from the insulator.

It will be understood that while I have illustrated my invention in connection with the usual form of suspension insulating unithaving a frusto-conical hub member 6 extending upwardly from the skirt portion 5, my method may be advantageously used with an 1 other types of insulators.

It will of course be apparent that the disks 1 are of a nature readily permitting quantity production of the same and are exceedingly cheap to manufacture, and that by providing disks having openings therein of different diameters any size of insulating elements may be used, and by using disks of different thicknesses any desired spacing of the cap and insulating element may be readily obtained.

I claim a 1. The method of connecting the parts of an insulator unit of the type in which the insulating element is provided with a portion adapted to have a socketed fit within a recess in a metallic cap, said method involving, mounting upon the said portion of the insulating element an expanded packing ring prior to the assembly of said element and cap, and subsequently contracting said pack- 111".

5. The method of connecting the insulating element of a suspension insulator to a 'metallic cap havmg a recess adapted to receive a projection on the insulating element, said method involving saturating an absorbent disk, mounting said disk upon the projection on the insulating'element, introduc mg a cementing substance into the recess of said cap, joining said insulating element and cap in socketed relation, and subsequently dr ing said disk.

n testimony whereof I aflix mv si nature.

. FRANK H. REA AN.- 

